Chris is currently in London for a bit, working away. I'm quite jealous, but it is rather cold there, so next time! While he's there he's giving a gift to some friends who very recently got married. We were going to try and think of something portable for him to find in Melbourne, but then I thought of Anthropologie... I remembered seeing these photos on Decor8 some time back and now feel all jealous that I can't visit the store too!

How gorgeous are the Zinnea Thicket pieces? I would be delighted to eat dinner from them every night, wouldn't you?

These ones are maybe a bit too risky for a wedding gift, but they're my faves. Can't you imagine eating a big bowl of spaghetti off an octopus? I can! If Chris had taken a hard suitcase (instead of a soft backpack) I'd be tempted to make a request... my birthday is coming up soon!

It's all so gorgeous! I sent Chris a map of the Anthropologie store location, my suggestions for ultimate wedding gifts, instructions to take photos of the shop (if they let him!) and the hint that my birthday is soon. So... good luck to Chris!

Hello! Christmas is over, 2011 resolutions are most likely still fresh... I just wanted to share some tips, based on my own experience + some hits & misses I had in the online gift buying department last year.

The assumption I'm making here is if you're an online seller, you'd be pretty chuffed if you had repeat buyers & word-of-mouth referrals. Right? Read on...

Let's say you've made something awesome. Like a coinpurse. You probably have a business name. Stick it on your product! That way when someone's using your stuff, they can remember who made it. So if someone asks them, or they want to buy another one, they don't have to search their memory!

Every product is different. For a coinpurse, you might use a fabric tag. You can tuck it on the inside. Or, if you made a mug, you might put your name on the bottom. Notepad? Sure, it's perfectly acceptable to tuck your business name or even your website somewhere small. Some products this won't work so much for. If you make something little, like earrings, it's harder than for a t-shirt. So, think about...

I think a great assumption to make when selling is that the item you've sold is being given as a gift. This means the lucky recipient of the item is not the person who purchased it. If you assume your product is being given as a gift - what would you like the recipient to know? This is the same when you're selling at a market or wholesale - you don't have the opportunity to present a written product description to every shopper.

Every item is different, in terms of how it can be packaged as well as what information needs to be presented. For example, a coinpurse is pretty self explanatory as to its use, and is heaps easier to attach a swing tag to than a bowl. However, what information should be attached? Is it made of special fabrics? Is it handmade? Who designed it? Are there care instructions?

If you make something small, maybe you can tuck it into a bag with the information on it, or attach it to a backing card. If you make something big, a swing tag might do.

You might consider including any of the following info:Business Name,Website,Materials,Location,Your Name,Copyright info,Care instructions!

This info doesn't need to be fancy - even if you only have a dot matrix printer & some basic white printer paper, it's better than not at all!

Finally, when you mail your items, do it with care. If you include a note, make it a polite one! When you package your item, package it safely. If you include a business card, don't write a super personal note on it - that way the person you're sending the parcel to can pass the business card on.

Is it working?

If you were to get into the habit of very politely asking your customers how they found out about you, you might be able to tell if it was via word-of-mouth. Try it!

Hooray! I hope these tips help. Don't get bogged down in fabulous design this, or custom printing that - when it comes to branding, something is better than nothing!

Take a peek at this! Emma Kidd, plus Nacho Rodríguez & Gina Thorstensen, did gorgeous illustrations which were turned into a wonderful animation for Klaus&Kinski's new song - El Rey del Mambo y la Reina de Saba.

Hello! Thank you all so much to the lovely people who bought the softies for the QLD Flood Appeal. We sold 7 softies and donated $200 to the Premier's Distaster Relief Appeal (our receipt # is 3115290), which is fantastic! Obviously it's a teensy drop in the ocean compared to the money, effort & time that will be needed to get Queensland back in shape, but there are so many lovely crafty /bloggy types that are doing so much that it's all adding up!

In case you've never experienced a Facebook auction before, you have to sign in to your Facebook account, 'like' their page, and then once the auction opens tomorrow, leave a comment on each item you'd like to bid for with your $ bid amount. 100% of the winning bids will be donated.

New Valentine's cards! These were so simple, when I finished them I wondered why I hadn't done them a long time ago. My favourite is the houndstooth, in purple... Do you like it?

I know that a heart card for Valentine's is not exactly revolutionary, but I did want to do ones that are really bright & cheerful, and that you'd be happy to give or receive all year around, to anyone. I think the yellow is kind of nice for a new baby! Quick, somebody have a baby and I'll give you one.

I also have an increasing obsession with these really simple patterns - polka dots, stripes and so on. The houndstooth is new though!

These three are my faves. I think I might frame them - I'll show pictures if I do!

I know it's a little after the event, but I didn't want to risk spoiling the surprise of these gifts! I always find buying for men a wee bit trickier than for ladies, but these are some fun little gifts I bought for Christmas...

Left - Journal by Record Attempts - they're made of old records!Right - Mug by Able & Game - I think the picture says it all. It even looks a bit like my dad!

Left - Zine by Andrew Fulton - this zine is adorable. It's such a little thing, but it has a great plot! Go buy your own.Middle - iPhone pouch by Ambette - super handy, obviously, and very suitable for even the most stylish of men (and my dad!)Right - Notepad by Nut & Bee - these are just funny.

I did develop a new gift giving strategy over Christmas - when in doubt give delicious edibles. With a lovely tea towel instead of wrapping paper.

I think I'd be happy if someone gave me a new toasted sandwich machine which produces lovely toasties, along with an awesome tea towel to clean up afterward? And a lovely loaf of sourdough. Yes I would. Although by giving it to Chris it's like a gift to myself... hah!

2011! Wow! For a couple of months now I've been doing really good at adjusting myself to 2011 - accidentally writing 2011 instead of 2010, planning goals... but now that we're here I'm just not sure! 2010 was a mixed bag for me personally - the first half of the year was fabulous, the second half was tricky. But, that's what life is!

Pocket Carnival came leaps and bounds in 2010. Only in November of 2009 did I design the first Pocket Carnival fabric purses, and by the end of 2009 we had a handful of art prints and cards, plus the Woodland Animals purses.

So, 2010 has seen Pocket Carnival really bloom, which I'm so proud of! When I look at all our super lovely products and around the studio, I'm so happy with how things are going. I have so many plans and ideas for 2011 buzzing around in my brain, even if only 1% of those work out it'll be heaps!

I do have a few resolutions for 2011 - they essentially boil down to:1- Stress less,2- Be more organised,3- Do more fun stuff!

So - cheers to 2011, and I'm off to do some 3 - fun stuff.

P.S. - I'll be back super soon to share some actual plans for 2011, including some fun new stuff which the hearts pictured above are a sneak peek of!